


Walk in the Park

by oddandevander



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Awkwardness, Inspired by Art, M/M, POV Alternating, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), connor can't flirt, kinda meet-cute but they've already met before sO, well a gif but
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-07-02 15:44:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15799605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oddandevander/pseuds/oddandevander
Summary: Connor has been working on fitting in with society and discovering what he likes.Markus still has a lot to learn about who he is and what freedom means.Both of them think today is a good day to spend in the park.





	Walk in the Park

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sodasketches](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sodasketches/gifts).



> For Roman, who always supports my writing and got me interested in RK1000 in the first place. Here you go pal.
> 
> Inspired by [this gif](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b7/5b/07/b75b077dac0ee820d141ab6d1b253d68.gif).
> 
> Comments are always appreciated!!! <333 Thank you for reading.

Connor tightened the leash around his hand as he continued to walk, moving his gaze from Sumo to the area around them. It was a peaceful place. Almost unsettling in how it reminded him of the Zen Garden, but comforting in how alive it was. Not quiet and dead, but full of jogging couples and laughing children. Sunlight lit up the grass on the sides of the trail Connor was walking on. He glanced back, noticing Hank an even farther distance from them than last time. "Are you alright, Hank?"

His response came as a grunt, follwed by a nod. "Yeah, yeah, just not as young as I used to be," he answered with a huff.

"We haven't been walking long. Perhaps you should exercise more often," Connor suggested, raising his eyebrows as he came to a stop, ignoring Sumo's insistent tugging.

Hank scoffed and shook his head. "One step at a time, Connor. I'm still trying to work water back into my diet." He waved his hand. "Don't wait for me. Go on, I'll catch up."

Although Connor hesitated briefly, he eventually gave in to Sumo's eagerness to keep walking. "We'll be just up the trail if you need us. We'll stop if we get too far ahead," he added catiously before relenting to the dog and beginning to walk again.

 

Not much farther up the trail than Connor and Sumo was Markus. Nature had recently become something he could find limitless beauty in. He spent time at the quieter parts of the trails, where trees acted as a barrier to the outside world and he could feel completely isolated, alone with his thoughts.

Things had went from chaos to tranquility so abruptly that Markus didn't know what to do with all his free time. He had fought for freedom and won. Now what was left was figuring out just what freedom meant to him. He had yet to discover who he really was, what this all meant. His life had slowed down a lot since the revolution ended.

 

"Sumo, stop!" Connor demended with as much authority as he could direct at the dog, to no avail. He finally managed to halt Sumo himself with a tug on the leash, bringing the pair to a stand-still and glancing back. There was no sign of Hank. The path curved a little ways back, so there was no telling how far away Hank was from here.

Having gotten so far ahead, Connor was ready to stop and wait for him. At worst, Hank would grumble about not needing him to, but these trails branched off unexpectedly, so Connor settled for the cautious route.

He would have, anyway. Instead, Sumo caught sight of a squirrel and took off without a warning. Connor could only stumble after him, barely managing to catch his footing and basically being dragged by the dog. And then he was all but sailing through the air.

 

Markus stared blankly at his surroundings. He hadn't had a lot of time to reflect on his identity. He was Markus. He was a painter, like his father. He was one of the saviors of his people. But those were the simple things. Markus knew he was more, he just didn't know what.

In a way, it felt foolish. He used to spend his time during the revolution thinking about all he had to live for, all the reasons to be free. Now he just stood alone in a park because he had way too much free time for his own good.

 

Connor tried to stop the over enthusiastic dog. "Agh- Sumo, please!" Connor called, everything flying by almost too quickly to register. The only thing he really did notice was a person—right before crashing into them.

Everything stopped, including Sumo's tug on the leash, as if he decided _now_ was the time to calm down. Connor barely managed to regain his balance, only doing so with the help of a pair of hands on his waist that kept his steady.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he gathered himself and looked up, ready to apologize, and stopping dead. Holy shit. "Markus?" Connor said incredulously, briefly doubting his own sanity.

Markus. Markus the savior of android-kind. Markus the incredibly attractive. Markus, who had his hands on Connor's waist. Connor stared at him.

Evidently tuckered out by the running, Sumo just plopped onto the ground and stared up at Connor from behind Markus, panting, almost looking proud of himself.

 

It took Markus a second to catch up with it all as well, but it didn't take him long to realize who it was. Once he did, he smiled. "Hello, Connor," he replied.

Blue colored Connor's face as he stared at Markus. "Uh- sorry about that. Sumo has a tendency to.. get me into trouble." He cast a tired but loving glance at the big dog.

"It's fine," Markus assured him, watching Connor's eyes dart to the ground with apparent anxiety. It had been a few months since he'd last seen the former deviant hunter. Connor had definitely adapted into the human world quite well. He seemed much more human now.

Markus realized that his hands were still on Connor's waist, and swiftly moved them away. "Sorry." He glanced back at the dog. "Is he yours?" he asked Connor.

"No, not exactly. He's Hank's."

"I like him," Markus said. "He seems nice."

 

In Connor's defense, he had been designed for human integration, not deviant android integration. It was different. That and the fact that Connor had taken an absurdly strong liking to Markus since they first met. Developed some sort of attachment to the android, but could he be _blamed_? Markus had been the one to save him. It was only natural to have such strong feelings for him after that, right?

And anyway, it was weird to come face to face with someone he had been shamelessly crushing on for the past couple months.

Markus turned around and kneeled to pet the dog, putting an end to their closeness. Connor felt oddly disappointed, but stayed silent as he watched Sumo happily wag his tail at Markus's attention.

He stiffened with surprise when his thirium pump stuttered in his chest before beating again in its normal rhythm. He reminded himself that he wasn't dying, and turned his attention back to Markus.

"Do you come to this park a lot?" Connor asked casually, tilting his head.

"Sometimes." Markus stood again. "I have been more recently, since things have calmed down." He looked around, scanning the area slowly. "I like it here. It's a nice place to think."

The knowledge that Markus took so much personal time just to think filled him with excitement. He loved learning things about Markus. He loved a lot about Markus.

 

"What about you?" Markus turned back to Connor. "Do you come here often?"

"I do, actually. It's not far from Hank's house and Sumo seems to enjoy the physical activity." Connor's eyes jumped from place to place as he spoke, only briefly reaching Markus. It was a cute quirk.

As soon as he stopped speaking, however, he did meet Markus's eyes. The silence between them held and Connor's blush grew with every lingering moment.

 

Connor missed having Hank to help him in social situations. Or to be there if things went wrong, at the very least. Though, honestly, Hank usually just laughed in those situations.

As if his prayer was answered, Hank came walking up behind him at that exact moment, clearly out of breath. "Jesus, you two move fast," he puffed, stretching as he looked at Markus. He took a moment to stare at him before it clicked. "You're that android that led the whole revolution, huh?"

Oh no. Connor realized with sudden horror that Hank knew everything about Connor's admiration for Markus.

On second thought, maybe Hank was just more embarrassing. At least when it came to androids. Especially ones Connor obsessed about. But Markus simply gave him a smile as he nodded.

"So, you go from saving the android race to spending time at the park?" Hank cocked an eyebrow.

Markus chuckled. "It is a change."

"You're damn right," Hank agreed.

 

"This is Hank," Connor introduced, stiffly, as if he was scared of something. "Hank, this is Markus." He stared over at Hank as if silently asking him something. Markus realized Connor seemed to want to impress him.

Markus looked at Hank again. "It's nice to meet you. Connor talks about you a lot."

Hank laughed and crossed his arms. "Me? He's been obsessed with you since—"

"I'm not obsessed!" Connor cut him off defensively, tone sharp. His face almost looked comically blue with his flush, contrasting with the red glow on the side of his head. "I only mentioned Markus a few times after the revolution."

Hank nodded slowly. "You mean after you risked you life for his cause?"

Connor glared.

 

"I haven't forgotten that, you know." Markus's voice grabbed Connor's attention again. "You risked your life for the revolution, Connor. We couldn't have won without you." His voice was full of sincerity.

Frankly, Markus's compliments had more of a chance of killing him than infiltrating the Cyberlife Tower had. "Thank you. It was nothing," he said modestly. A big change considering how much he usually bragged about himself.

Hank reached over and grabbed Sumo's leash, taking the exchange as his cue to leave. "I think I'll go on ahead. Sumo seems to be ready to walk around again. I'll let you two catch up."

Oh. Oh dear. Connor watched them walk away, longing to beg them to stay, as they turned down the trail and vanished from sight. He was alone with Markus now. No emotional support dog. Just Connor, standing in front of this insanely handsome android messiah, awkwardly. "So, then... how's North?" he brought up, attempting not to sound on edge with nerves.

 

Markus frowned faintly at the mention of North. They hadn't spoken much since the breakup. She still seemed upset about it, though she wouldn't admit it. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "I haven't talked to her recently."

Connor stared for a moment before frowning with comprehension. "Oh. I-I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Markus replied, shaking his head. "It didn't work out. It's better this way." He tried to further reassure Connor with a smile. "What have you been doing? Besides spending time with Sumo."

Connor smiled slightly. "Trying to make friends and working, mostly. There are some deviants who hold a certain grudge against me. I can't say I blame them."

"Really?" Markus frowned. "You did more than redeem yourself." Risking his life and adding millions to their cause? How could deviants still hold a grudge against him after that?

Connor shrugged. "I guess."

 

Though he stared at that ground, Connor could _feel_ Markus move closer. He didn't doubt his LED was currently betraying his anxiety even more than he was. He needed to start wearing a hat.

"Connor, you know the things you did before weren't really you," he murmured. "You didn't know any better."

This felt extremely intimate all of a sudden. Was Connor that easy to read or was Markus really good at noticing it? And how the hell did he know exactly what to say? "Markus..."

"You're good, Connor."

Connor hoped he had it in him not to cry on the spot. He was good. Markus thought he was good, in spite of everything that happened before...

 

"Connor."

Connor looked up expectantly, completely adorable in how vulnerable and genuine he looked.

"I can't stay much longer," Markus explained, with a hint of remorse. "I'll come back here tomorrow, around this time. If you get the chance to come by, I would appreciate the company."

 

Holy shit. Markus wanted to see him again?

Lost for words, Connor nodded frantically. "Yeah! Of course! I'll... I'll be here."

Markus smiled. He was so hot. Connor held back urge to let out any type of embarrassing noise as Markus took another step forward and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'll see you then."

 

Markus lingered another second before walking off, the two parting ways until tomorrow. Hm. It was funny. He still had a lot to learn about himself. But Connor? He was like an open book.

Maybe with some time, Connor would be able to read Markus, provide some of the answers Markus had been searching for. Maybe that was just wishful thinking.

But if nothing else, Connor was cute, and Markus was in no way opposed to spending more time with him. This park had just become one of his new favorite places.


End file.
